A succession of amiable e-mails, allegedly written by a ruthless suspect, reportedly reeled in Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl and set the stage for his brutal death.

According to records obtained by the FBI, Pearl, 38, received three e-mails between Jan. 16 and 20 that promised a meeting between Pearl and militant Muslim cleric Mubarak Ali Shah Gilani – believed to be tied to al Qaeda and shoe bomber Richard Reid, said the London-based Sunday Express.

“It is sad you are leaving Pakistan so soon. I hope you have enjoyed your stay,” said one chilling message, supposedly written by Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheik, a kidnapper allied with the Islamic Jihad, the paper reported.

“I will arrange an appointment with the Sheikh [Gilani] in Karachi for you on Tuesday or Wednesday, depending on his timetable.”

The meeting never took place. Pearl, a Princeton, N.J., native, was snatched three days after the last e-mail in Karachi.

Sources also said yesterday Pakistani investigators received threatening calls from people using Pearl’s cell phone the day before the FBI received a video showing his grisly murder.

The news came as Pakistani authorities warned that Pearl’s murder may be part of a wider terrorist plot – and said they fear they’ll never find the reporter’s body.

Three senior officials investigating Pearl’s kidnapping received several calls on Feb. 20 warning them of “dire consequences” if they did not stop pursuing the case.

“They told the investigators how many children each one of them have, when they go to school, which mode of transport they use for going to school and returning back home and where their families go shopping,” a source said.

“They had very minute and precise information about the activities of their family members.”

Pakistani officials believe the reporter’s slaying may be part of a larger terror scheme to destabilize the country following President Pervez Musharraf’s vow last month to rid Pakistan of Islamic extremism in the wake of Sept. 11.

“We cannot rule out attacks on U.S. interests in Pakistan after what has happened with Mr. Pearl,” an official said.

“The way the kidnappers executed him shows they have made up their mind that they do not care about their own future.”

Just before Pearl’s throat was savagely sliced by an unseen assailant, Pearl told the camera he is a Jew and his mother is a Jew.

Cops have four suspects already in custody, including the British-born Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheik, who confessed to the abduction in a Karachi court last week. Four key suspects remain on the loose.

An intelligence official said “it will not be easy to find the remains of the slain journalist” because they don’t know when or where Pearl was killed.

Pearl’s wife, Mariane – who is seven months pregnant with the couple’s first child – has said her husband’s killers could not destroy his spirit.With Post Wire Services

HOW KILLERS REELED IN THEIR PREY

Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2002

Dear Mr. Pearl,

Thank you very much for your articles – I enjoyed reading them and I have passed them on the print out to Shah Saab [Gilani]. He has now gone to Karachi for a few days and I am sure that when he returns we can go and see him. I am sorry to have not replied to you earlier, I was preoccupied with looking after my wife who has been ill. Please pray for her health.

I spoke to the Shaikh’s secretary yesterday and he told me that the Shaikh-Saab has read your articles and that you are welcome to meet him. However it will be a number of days before he returns from Karachi. If Karachi is in your program you are welcome to meet him there. Or if you want to put some questions to him you can mail them to me and I will pass the print out to his secretary. Or if you want to wait until he returns that is fine also. Wish you the best and look forward to hearing from you.

Adaab, Bashir.

Sunday, Jan. 20

It is sad that you are leaving Pakistan so soon – I hope you have enjoyed your stay.

I will arrange an appointment with the Shaikh in Karachi for you on Tuesday or Wednesday, depending on his timetable.

His secretary is still there in Pindi so there should be no problem.

He will give me the number of one of his mureeds [assistants] whom you can call when you get there. The mureed will take you to see him.